Hot take: Maliketh and Messmer need more HP
Before my rant, some context. I love Elden Ring, I have well over 1000 hours in the game and have achieved every ending at least twice respectively. I have purged every catacomb, gone through every cave and mine, checked under every rock and nook and cranny and still haven’t gotten bored of the game.
That being said, there’s always two bosses I’m happy to rush back into fighting… and two bosses that always seem to die every first or third attempt. Messmer and Maliketh. Don’t get me wrong— I understand these are glass cannon bosses.. but damn, if I’m running a strength build these guys get their knees turned into butter. Especially Maliketh.
Maliketh holds this opinion a bit more than Messmer for me simply because his boss fight REALLY starts when he’s at HALF health. Messmer is the boss fight from start to finish (at least in enjoyability imo) but Maliketh starts as Gurranq a boy oh boy is he.. something. His moves can be described in two categories, “get the fuck away from me” and “projectile shenanigans”, neither of which are the pinnacle of enjoyment. Maliketh needs to stay fighting well before half health for me to actually be intimidated by him. Especially if you know how to use blasphemous claw. The guy who already gets his poise broke from a loose sneeze should not have an extra parry option unless he has the health to warrant that. There’s just so much that go against him in my opinion to make him an extremely competent boss. Duh, he’s one of the goats, but for someone head to toe in armor- he sure is fragile.
Messmer is more personal for me. He’s easily the best boss in the dlc and in my opinion the game. That first faze can be a bitch if you’re not patient but anytime I die to Messmer is feels like, “yeah, that’s my fault”, which is great for a boss but in my countless runs of Elden Ring, I can almost always fifth try him on a bad run, first try on a good run. It’s incredibly rewarding to beat him but it also ends pretty damn fast when he gets into his second faze. All of his moves are fucking awesome and they all give pretty decent windows for damage, which is great, but he feels every hit. I’m not saying make him consort Radahn or fire giant in terms of hp but the abyssal serpent should just have a bit more hp for me.
This isn’t a post to brag, I’m not John Elden Ring, but when I start new run in hopes to run a fade with these guys and they just kinda keel over when I lock in.. it’s heartbreaking lol.